


Uncertainties

by Dr_Lombax



Category: Megamind (2010)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-11
Updated: 2015-02-05
Packaged: 2018-03-01 02:47:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2756705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dr_Lombax/pseuds/Dr_Lombax
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As Megamind and Roxanne approach their anniversary, Megamind finds himself struggling to overcome his own uncertainties about himself and their relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Strange Awakening

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys. This is my first work. Feel free to leave any kind of comments from praise to constructive criticisms or even just hate. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

Megamind stirred slightly, enjoying the sensation of slowly drifting back into consciousness as he awakened. He kept his breathing even, making himself lie perfectly still as his muscles gradually returned to life and his senses came back online.

It was a familiar routine he’d developed over the years, originally stemming from paranoia. From a young age, he’d trained himself to make no outward indication that he had woken up until he’d determined that the surrounding environment was safe. It was a technique that had saved his life (and helped him escape from prison), more times than he could count.

Since becoming the city’s hero, however, he hadn't encountered the need for such precautions even once. Every day had started with him simply waking up in the comfort of his own home, without any threat of guards or hostile enemies nearby. Still, old habits die hard.

Good thing too because today, it seemed, would be different. He felt alarm bells going off in his head as he realized with a start that he was not, in fact, in his bed at the lair. Whatever he was lying on was somewhat firmer than his mattress, and slightly narrower. He shifted almost imperceptibly and realized that his body was covered in something heavy but soft.

He took a moment to try to calm his own frantic nerves, while the rest of his senses aroused themselves from sleep. He could now hear distant noises from the city. Cars sped by very far below him, mingled with the sounds of people on the sidewalks. Somewhere nearby, a kettle whistled. Smells of salt and grease drifted to his nose, accompanied by a soft sizzling. Even though his eyes remained closed, the light shining through his eyelids informed that wherever he was, it was very bright. The whole environment seemed vaguely familiar to him, but he couldn’t place exactly where he was.

Still unsure of his surroundings, he smoothly stretched out each limb. He made sure to do so in a manner that would appear to any observer as simple, unconscious movements of the sleeping. To his relief, he found that none of his appendages had been bound or restricted.

Finally satisfied that he was in no immediate danger, and convinced he was alone, Megamind cracked one of his eyes open and looked around. What he saw was mildly surprising.

He was greeted with the sight of a place he had come to know rather well in the past several months. A cozy living room with beige-colored walls and a large set of glass patio doors leading to an outside terrace, his hover bike parked just on the railing. Inside were a large flat-screen television, a few armchairs, and a darkly polished coffee table made from cherry tree wood. And one couch, which incidentally, was what Megamind happened to be lying on.

He was in Roxanne’s apartment. He found that the large, heavy object covering him was a blanket. More specifically, it was a comforter- one he’d never seen before.

No longer sensing any threat, Megamind sat up and rubbed the weariness from his eyes. What was he doing here anyway? Let’s see- what was the last thing he remembered? He looked down, realizing he was dressed in his civilian clothing, a navy blue button-up shirt and casual black slacks with dark colored sneakers.

Then it came to him, they’d had a date arranged for last night. There was going to be a midnight boat race across the lake, orchestrated by the Metro City sailing club, and they’d decided to go see it together.

He’d been very busy that day. Not only had he had a full schedule of work at the lab, but he’d been called away a total of six times to help with unexpected emergencies in the city. By the time he went over to Roxanne’s apartment (10:37, if he’d remembered correctly), he’d felt sluggish. At least sluggish compared to his normal, hyperactive self.  
When he parked on the outside terrace and knocked on her door, she’d invited him inside, suggesting that they wait for a little while before leaving. It was a chilly night, and there was no sense in getting there early just to freeze while waiting for the show to start. So they’d sat on the couch together, telling each other about their days and indulging in some witty banter, of course.

Then Roxanne got a call on her landline, informing her that a package had arrived for her on the main floor of the building, and she needed to sign for it. She became excited, convinced that it was the one she’d been expecting for the past few days; a set of documents she’d needed for a story she was currently working on at the station. She’d asked him to wait for her to get back, saying she’d only be a moment, and he’d readily agreed. While she’d been gone, he had reclined fully on the couch, thinking there could be no harm in getting some quick rest before she returned. That was the last thing he could remember.

As realization settled in, he felt his cheeks grow warm. He couldn’t believe he’d let himself fall asleep in the middle of their date. How embarrassing, not to mention rude. And it seemed Roxanne had been kind enough to provide a blanket for him in spite of that.

Well, it was probably best not to overstay his welcome. He didn’t want to take advantage of her hospitality. With quick, silent movements, he got up and folded the comforter, laying it over the back of the couch. Then he strode briskly to the patio.

As he opened the doors, they made a creaking noise that was uncomfortably loud to his ears. With the glass no longer separating the apartment from the outside world, the cacophony on the street below increased in volume as well, adding to the disturbance of the previously quiet atmosphere in the room. Just as he was leaving, he heard a voice call out from deeper inside the apartment.

“Hello?”

He’d know that voice anywhere. The sound of footsteps followed until Roxanne had entered the room, finding him standing in the open doorway, one foot already outside.

With a graceful exit no longer optional, he coughed and gave her a sheepish smile. “Um… hey.”

Then he glanced away and rubbed the back of his neck “I was just- Thanks, for, you know, letting me stay and-“ he gestured to the comforter.

“I really should be going now,” he began to babble, speaking rapidly and inching closer to the bike. “I didn’t get everything done yesterday in the lab, and some new calls probably came in last night to the response centers, so-“

“Hold up,” Roxanne said, laughing softly. He was already all the way out the door, so she came up to him, grabbed his hand and gently led him back into the living room. Then she closed the doors behind him. “There’s no need to rush. Stay. Just a bit longer. I’ve already made breakfast and I thought we could just eat and hang out for a while before we both headed off to work.” He then realized that the smells he’d noticed earlier where coming from her own kitchen.

“Uh,” He stated rather articulately. Her reaction surprised him a bit. He’d been sure she would be upset with him after last night. Annoyed, at the very least.

“Sure, breakfast sounds good.” He said at last, and followed her into the kitchen area. Despite her cheerful mood, he still felt guilt gnawing in the pit of his stomach.

“Hey,” he said quietly, catching her attention as he sat down at the table “Sorry about last night. I know you really wanted to see the race. You could’ve woken me up you know, I wouldn't have minded.”

She smiled in response from where she was standing at the stove, scrambling eggs and frying bacon. “I know you wouldn’t, but you looked exhausted.” She briefly thought about telling him how cute he’d looked as well when she'd returned to find him zonked out on her couch, then decided against it. “I figured it was probably better to just let you sleep. And don’t worry about the race; I’ll just watch footage later today.”

With that, she turned back to the now finished food, divided it evenly and served it on two plates. As she turned back to the table, she found that Megamind had gotten up and set out the silverware. He also took the coffee pot and poured out mugs for both of them.

She felt pleased with him. He had come so far in these past months, even if he didn’t realize it. He was getting better at noticing other people, and thinking of their needs without being asked. She was convinced that when they’d first started dating, even though he was no longer evil, he wouldn’t have worried so much about inconveniencing her by falling asleep in her apartment.

He made sure to pull her seat out for her before sitting down himself, and Roxanne tried not to giggle. Okay, so maybe he overdid it sometimes with the whole gentleman shtick. Still though, it was kind of adorable, and she certainly wasn’t complaining.

“So,” he said as they started on their food. “You got that package right? How’s the story coming along?”

While Roxanne began telling him about her latest project, they both ate their breakfast, enjoying each other’s company. Both found the experience pleasant and wondered if they’d get the chance to repeat it.

After they finished their meals, they quickly put away the dishes and cleared the table. Then they kissed each other goodbye, him leaving out the patio doors and hopping on his motorcycle while she grabbed her keys.

When he was ready to leave, he caught her eye through the windows as she locked the doors behind him. He shot her one last grin, winked and gave a salute before shooting off for the lair.

She laughed at his cocky attitude. It never ceased to amuse her, and she hoped it would never change. And with that, she headed out the door to start her own day.


	2. Discussions

As Megamind rode the hover bike through the holographic wall, he smiled to himself. Today had started off wonderfully, and with any luck it would continue to be so. Personally, he had found the whole experience an enjoyable way to start a morning.

Bacon and eggs were an interesting type of breakfast, he mused to himself as he landed the bike in its usual spot and dismounted. They tasted good enough, but they weren’t as sweet as the foods he usually preferred. Oh well. Roxanne had been teasing him lately about his diet anyway, telling him that there were other things to eat besides sugar. Maybe she was right about him needing to cut back a bit.

His thoughts were interrupted by a faint clanking sound reverberating deep within the lair. The sound soon grew louder and more rapid until finally, Minion burst into the garage from behind a nearby curtain. He stood for a moment, staring at his master, panting heavily, despite the fact that exertion on his robot body should not have winded him at all.

Seeing his expression, Megamind grew concerned. “Minion? What’s happened? Is everything alright?”

When Minion finally caught his breath, he steadied himself, but he still had a wide-eyed look of panic. “Is everything alright?! No, it’s not alright! You disappear last night, promising to be home by 2 am at the latest and then I don’t hear from you _at all_. You wouldn’t even answer your phone. I tried calling, texting…”

The fish continued to ramble as Megamind sighed and ran a gloved hand down his face. It wasn’t like he had planned to fall asleep at Roxanne’s. But in retrospect, he probably should have called Minion as soon as he’d woken up. The fish tended to worry and coddle like nobody’s business. He could probably power a small army of moms for a decade.

“Okay” he said gently but firmly, stopping Minion mid-rant. “You’re right. I should have thought of you. I’m very sorry for making you stress out, and I promise I will try to keep it from happening again in the future.”

“Well thank you sir.” Minion tried to compose himself as he nodded, accepting the apology. One of the great things about his boss dating their former kidnapee was that she seemed to have triggered a growth spurt of sorts in him. He had matured a great deal since becoming the cities hero, and Minion would be lying if he said he wasn’t quite happy with this change of attitude. “I’m glad to hear you say that.”

“Good.” Megamind said, for his part glad that the conversation could stop without any further argument. He then leaned over towards his nearby tool station and grabbed a small tuning device. On the way back to the lair, his radio signal had been glitching in and out, and he wanted to try adjusting it before he left again. As he turned back to the bike, Minion came closer to his side.

“So” the fish prompted “Where were you anyways? Did you get any sleep at all?”

“Oh” Megamind said, turning his head casually “I slept just fine. Great, really. I stayed over at Roxanne’s.” He then returned his attention to the bike’s antenna, completely missing the stunned look his sidekick shot in his direction.

“Re-really?” Minion asked, shocked “You spent the night at Miss Ritchie’s?” Something in his tone caused Megamind to stop what he was doing and turn to face his lifelong friend.

“Yeah.” He stated, mildly puzzled. “Why?”

For a second, Minion didn’t react. Then his features split into a broad, toothy grin.

“ **OH SIR!** ” he exclaimed in a booming voice that caused Megamind to jump “That’s wonderful. Congratulations. I’m so proud of you.” Tears were beginning to form in the corners of his eyes.

Megamind, on the other hand, was looking at him like he’d grown a second head. “Errr…Thanks… I guess” he said at length.

Seeing the face his master was giving him, Minion managed to pull himself together. “I’m sorry” he said chuckling self-consciously. “I know it’s weird for me to be getting excited for you over something like that.”

“A _little_ bit, yeah.” Megamind responded, making a pinching motion with two fingers to emphasize the point. With the adjusting of the antenna finished, he put his tuner back on the table and made his way across the floor to the main room of the lair. Minion followed close behind.

“It’s just that, you’ve been together for- how long has it been?” The fish asked, trying to count on his metal fingers.

A broad grin spread across Megamind’s features at that. “Almost a year. As a matter of fact, it is exactly 27 days, 14 hours, and 33 minutes until our anniversary.”

Minion gasped and put his hands to the front of his bowl. “Ohmygosh. Really? How could I have missed that? We need to make preparations. Let’s see, I’ll take care of the cooking, maybe we could try to plan a trip. Ooh! What if we-“. His further ramblings were cut off by a wave of Megamind’s hand.

“Woah” he said, chortling softly “Easy there buddy. While I appreciate the enthusiasm, I already have some plans in the works. You won’t have to do anything.”

From the look on Minion’s face, one would have guessed that he had just been told that his brother had died, or that they had stopped selling his favorite brand of mealworms at the local pet store. Seeing how distraught he was, Megamind backpedaled hastily.

“It’s nothing personal” he rushed to reassure “It’s just- an anniversary is a very important, very personal ritual, and I feel like it’s only appropriate that I be the one to handle all of the details. You understand, don’t you?”

Mollified by this explanation, the henchfish nodded with a resigned expression. “Of course Sir. I suppose you’re right.”

“Naturally” came the cool response “I’m always right.”

They both had a good chuckle at this. A comfortable silence passed between them.

“So” Minion prompted lightly, nudging his master’s shoulder “What exactly did you have in mind?”

“I’m afraid I can’t tell. I want it to be a surprise.”

This made Minion raise an eyebrow. “Why would you care if I know? I would think you would only want it to be a surprise for Miss Ritchie.”

“Exactly” Megamind snorted “I do want it to be a surprise for Roxanne. Which is precisely why I can’t tell you.”

Minion furrowed his brows for a second, puzzled. Then he realized what his master had said. “ _ **HEY!**_ ”

“Oh come on” Megamind smiled in a condescending way. “You have to admit, you don’t have the best track record for secret keeping. It’s like you have no filter. Everything just goes into your ears and straight out your mouth.”

Minion wanted to argue, but ultimately had to concede that this was true. On the bright side, not knowing what his master was planning _did_ keep him from having to worry about accidentally letting it slip in front of Miss Ritchie and ruining the surprise. Besides, there was something else he wanted to speak with his friend about.

“Um, sir. I think we should talk for a moment.”

“Well see if you can walk and talk at the same time,” Megamind said with a wave of his hand. “I have a few things I need to do before heading out today. I tell you, a hero’s work is never done.”

They came to a display of computers in the far corner of the lair. A large monitor was posted on the wall that displayed a map of the city. Megamind began to type into one of the computers, muttering to himself and occasionally glancing up at the map. He’d set up these response centers for law enforcement officials to leave him messages of when and where the city required his services.

“Alright” Minion said slowly. “First of all, once again I think it’s great that you spent the night at Miss Ritchie’s. That having been said, I think we should discuss a few things about it.”

“What’s there to discuss?” Megamind asked nonchalantly, hopping onto a nearby wheely chair and pushing off from the desk with his feet. He spun across the room to a table with a set of gadgets on it, and began picking out certain devices, inspecting each carefully. “It’s not like it was a big deal.”

This off-handed comment left Minion floored. Megamind was a very emotional individual, especially when it came to Miss Ritchie. His very casual attitude about the whole thing was so completely out of character for him.

“ _Not a big deal?_ Sir it was your first time.”

“Well yeah,” he shrugged. “So? I do a lot of things for the first time.” The fish’s comment left Megamind confused. ‘First time’? Did Minion think he would continue sleeping on Roxanne’s couch on a regular basis?

Megamind then got up from the chair and walked briskly past him to a changing curtain being held up by some brainbots. Minion took a deep breath to compose himself. He could hear the sounds of zippers and leather rustling on the other side of it. His boss was probably suiting up to get ready for his routine hero duties. No more time to keep beating around the bush then.

After a moment, his friend moved aside the curtain, dressed in his usually black and blue costume and began making his way over towards the invisible car.

“Sir” Minion said firmly, trying to sound authoritative. “I just want to make sure you’re being safe.”

This made Megamind stop in his tracks and turn around. “Safe?” The question came out in a huff of laughter. “What do you think’s going to happen? That I’ll roll over and fall off the couch?”

Minion gasped in abject horror. “You were on the **COUCH?!!** Oh Sir.”

“Well where else was I going to sleep?” Megamind rolled his eyes, exasperated. What had gotten into his fish lately? “Roxanne was sleeping in her own bed, and she doesn’t have any others in her home.

Minion looked at him like he was speaking a different language. “I’m sorry, what?”

“And besides,” Megamind added, missing this comment “I was on the couch when I dozed off, so of course that would be where I slept.”

Realization suddenly dawned on Minion. “OH!” He visibly relaxed, feeling a wave of emotions, including relief, but also a bit of disappointment. “So when you said you ‘stayed over at Roxanne’s’ you meant you just _slept_ there.”

The confusion Megamind felt towards Minion at this point was becoming familiar. “Was I speaking in code? Yes, that’s what I meant.”

“Okay” Minion remarked “I just thought that you meant, uh, something else.” He finished lamely and looked down at his own feet.

“'Something else’?” Megamind scoffed “Like what? What did you think I was doing with Roxanne that required ‘safety’? Did you think we were fencing? Bungee jumping? Playing Russian Roulette?”

“UUuuuuuuuhhhh…” Minion was now visibly uncomfortable. “Well, it’s just- I thought you were- I mean- You know.” He made a waving motion with his hands, as if to clear things up.

“No, Minion. Actually I don’t.” Megamind replied flatly “Contrary to certain rumors circulating in the city, I cannot read minds.” He made a gesture motioning to his head. “You see this. No ESP going on up here. If you want me to know something, you’ll have to tell me.”

If a fish could blush, Minion’s entire body would have completely changed color. He looked as if he wanted nothing more than to turn around and run off to somewhere else in the lair. But instead, he bravely stood his ground and drew himself up to his full height. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Finally, he let out a loud sigh of frustration.

“Seriously?” he cried out “You can’t really be this naïve!!! This painfully oblivious!!!”

Megamind shook his head angrily. Then he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Okay. You know what- this is a waste of my time.” He turned around and continued his stride towards the car. “I really am busy today, and since you clearly don’t have anything more to say, I’m just gonna-“

“No, Sir. Wait. Please,” Minion stepped around to intercept him and grabbed both of his arms. “I’m sorry. Of course you wouldn’t know what I’m talking about. You’ve spent your entire life either in prison or trying to take over the city. And I only know about it because I watched so much TV while you were on the inside.” Minion realized he was rambling and shut his mouth. Megamind looked up at him with one eyebrow raised but remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

“Alright” Minion said after a few moments. He let go of his boss and took a few steps backwards. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath to compose himself, and shook his head. When he opened his mouth this time, the words came out in a rush.

“So when a man and a woman love each other very much they try to become close to each other. This usually involves certain things like-“

“You mean sex.” The statement came out evenly, as if Megamind were stating a math equation. His tone was so quiet and devoid of emotion, that for a moment, Minion wasn’t sure that he had heard him right. He wasn’t sure if his master had spoken at all, in fact. Had he just imagined that?

A moment of silence passed between them before Megamind spoke again. “Is that right? You thought we’d had sex?”

Minion fidgeted slightly. Then nodded. “Well. Yes.” He admitted awkwardly. “But I can see now that I was mistaken. At any rate, now that we have the issue in front of us, I would like us to talk about it to make sure your being safe- You know, when the time does come. Now I don’t know how much you know about-“

Minion stopped when he realized an odd sound was coming from his friend. Megamind was huddled over, shaking slightly and making wheezing noises. For a moment, Minion feared he was crying. But then he managed to straighten up and Minion saw a look of hysteria on his face as he tried to control his mirth. He failed in this initiative, and in no time at all his laughter was echoing all throughout the lair.

Minion rolled his eyes and waited for the blue genius to reign himself in. It took a while. After some time, however, he eventually got himself under control enough to talk.

“You know” he said, taking a breath and wiping tears from his eyes “It’s the dedication that makes this joke so funny. I mean you _really_ stuck with it there. Kept a straight face the whole time. I mean- wow.” 

With those words, he began to head towards the car once more. “Well, dear friend, I must say- thank you for that. You honestly had me going for a moment there.”

“Anyways” he added, picking up the keys off of a nearby tray “I really must be off now. The computers tell me there was a fire downtown last night and the fire chief suspects possible arson. If I get there fast enough, I may be able to collect forensic evidence before the trail goes cold.”

He opened the door to the car “Make sure to charge the brainbots before I get back and-"

He was interrupted by Minion’s robotic hand jutting out towards the car, slamming the door shut on him. When he turned around, the hulking, metallic body loomed over him. The fish inside the dome looked very grim and determined.

A few seconds ticked by with neither one of them speaking nor moving. Minion appeared to be waiting for his master to say something.

“Oh my god,” Megamind almost whispered finally “You’re serious.” Minion made no move to respond, but simply stood still, making it clear that no one was going anywhere until the issue at hand had been addressed.

At length, Megamind sighed “Okay. Well two things: First, you should know that when I was eleven, the Warden sat me down- well, strapped me to a chair in his office really- and explained to me all of the things that he felt a prepubescent male should know about adulthood.” He shuddered slightly “You weren’t there, thank god, but I’m telling you this now to let you know that I know all about the finer points of intercourse and how to practice it safely. The Warden was very detailed and I have not forgotten a word of what he said. Lord knows how I’ve tried.” He added the last bit with a mutter under his breath.

“Secondly” he continued “Even if he had not informed me on how to become ‘intimate’, you still would _not_ have to take it upon yourself to educate me, because it is a mute point.”

“Errr, _moot_ point sir?” In spite of Megamind’s very aloof manner while discussing the matter, Minion could have sworn he saw a faint flush across his boss’s cheeks.

“Yes that” Megamind drawled dismissively. “It’s not important because it will never happen between Roxanne and myself.” He crossed his arms over his chest, now appearing somewhat uncomfortable. “Our relationship is- how do I say this… physically limited. Even though we are dating, there are certain steps in normal relationships that simply won’t occur in ours. And not that it’s _any_ of your business, but that includes sex.”

“Oh,” Minion responded “So you two have already talked about this.”

Megamind coughed and looked away “Well, no actually. We haven’t even brought it up.” Now his hands were rubbing his arms self-consciously. “I just know these things, that’s all.”

Minion huffed in annoyance. “Well if you’ve never talked with Miss Ritchie about it, how do you know that she won’t want to take things to the next level at some point?”

Megamind snorted and gave his fish a droll look “Now who’s being ‘painfully oblivious’? Let’s just say I have a pretty good feeling that Roxanne is not at all that keen on getting to know this-“ he gestured to his whole body “-any better. Trust me, she will never bring up the issue. Ergo, neither will I.”

The blue alien was obviously trying to make the conversation light and witty, but Minion knew him better than that. The tone that Megamind had adopted during this quick speech was one of humorous self-deprecation, which he often used to disguise whenever he was hurting over something.

For just a brief second, Minion witnessed the façade his master had spent years building around himself crumble. His showmanship and ego were stripped from him; revealing the shy, timid individual underneath.

It was a rare thing for even Minion to see, and he was sure it never occurred around anyone else. It reminded the henchfish that behind the declarations of “Incredibly Handsome Genius” and a beaming aura of confidence, his boss was painfully aware of just how different he really was from other people on this planet.

And yet he hadn’t realized until now just how deep that insecurity ran. Hearing his best friend declare in a very assured manner that even his own girlfriend would find his appearance undesirable sent a pang of sadness through the fish’s heart. The way he stated it- like an objective fact- made it so much worse.

“Oh sir,” He sighed.

Seeing the look Minion gave him, Megamind grinned and rolled his eyes, slipping quickly back into his armor of witty banter and easy mannerisms.

“Don’t give me that look of pity” he teased lightly. “I’ve accepted the fact, and honestly, it doesn’t bother me at all.”

“Hold on. Are you saying you don’t want a physical relationship with Miss Ritchie?” Minion queried, slightly disbelieving.

His master shrugged “Let me put it to you this way: I’ve somehow managed to survive the first thirty-four years of my life in abstinence. I’m pretty sure if I continue along that same road for the remainder of my life, I’ll be just fine.”

“But you’re still not thinking about Miss Ritchie,” Minion argued. “You can’t know what she wants until you’ve actually asked her.”

“I already told you,” Megamind snapped, becoming irritable now “I know she doesn’t have any interest in me- at least not in _that_ way. I also know that the invisible car is very heavy, but I’ve never bothered trying to lift it just to be sure. It’s just something I know because it’s obvious.”

Minion glared at his master. This conversation was getting them nowhere. Perhaps it was time to take a different approach.

“Okay” he said calmly. “If you won’t ask her, then I suppose I’ll have to do it for you. I could just pick up the phone and-“

Megamind’s reaction was almost instantaneous. Like a bolt of lightning, he sprang towards his friend and grabbed onto his control panels. With three simple movements of his fingers, he typed in a quick program and the entire mechanized suit shut down, leaving Minion trapped in his bowl, the rest of his body paralyzed.

Megamind then jumped up onto the suit and grabbed the glass dome with both hands, bringing himself to eye level with Minion. His expression was dark, and for an instant Minion felt truly scared.

“Don’t. You. Even. Think. About it.” The words came hissed out through clenched teeth.

Then he seemed to come to his senses and relaxed mildly, blowing out a gust of breath. He climbed down off the robot, but kept one hand on the glass dome, giving it a reassuring pat.

“Look” he explained patiently “We both have it pretty good right now. We have the respect of the people, we don’t have to hide from law enforcement anymore, heck, we actually win our fights. The people of this city are happy, I’m happy- you should be happy too.”

“I am happy” the fish replied “It’s just that-“

“Ah!” Megamind shushed him. “No buts.”

“I didn’t say ‘but’,” Minion responded “I said ‘It’s just that’.”

“Whichever.” Then he sighed and pressed his palm to his forehead. This entire conversation was giving him a migraine. “On top of all that, Roxanne is willing to let go of years of kidnappings, evil plots, and even my lying to her. The fact that she’s even willing to give me a chance at all is nothing short of astounding.”

He saw his fish open his mouth to protest, and quickly cut him off with a glare and a sharp wave of his hand.

“My point is this: we have a good thing going for us here. The last thing I would want is to make Roxanne feel uncomfortable by letting her believe that I might be pressuring her.”

“It’s not pressuring if you just ask,” Minion countered solidly.

“Maybe not” Megamind conceded “But the simple question itself might lead Roxanne to believe that I’m not satisfied with our relationship; that I want more from her. This could make things uncomfortable and awkward between us, which could eventually lead to her wanting to call it off entirely.”

Minion favored him with a condescending look. “Seriously? A break up because you try to ask her a question? Don’t you think that scenario is a bit unrealistic?”

“That doesn’t matter” Megamind stated stubbornly, effectively dodging the counter argument. “What’s important is that I have my reasons for avoiding the subject, and since it is _my_ relationship and not yours, you have no right to try and make that decision for me. So you will stay out of it, and never breathe a word of any of this to Roxanne. Are we clear?”

“But Si-“

“Are. We. Clear. Minion?”

Minion swam frustrated circles in his bowl. For a genius, his boss sure could be dense sometimes. But in the end, he was right. Minion had no right to push his way into their relationship or force the subject against his master’s wishes. Even if he thought he was doing what was right. In the end, he sighed heavily.

“Okay, Sir” he finally conceded “I promise I won’t mention anything about this conversation to Miss Ritchie. But that having been said, I really do think you should at least give it some thought yourself.”

“Thank you, Minion” Megamind smiled gratefully and pressed a few buttons on the robot’s chest. Instantly, the entire apparatus hummed back into life. “I’ll be sure to keep your advice in the back of my brain.”

Then he turned quickly and stepped into the invisible car before he could be delayed any longer. With the door close behind him blocking Minion’s view, he rolled his eyes.

“Along with everything I learned in shool, movie trivia and other completely useless pieces of information.” He muttered darkly to himself.

And with that, he sped out of the lair.

Minion watched him go with a disappointed look, but resigned himself, knowing that there was nothing more he could do about the matter. Then he set about doing his chores. With any luck, his boss would come around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I already have chapter 3 written out, but I want to play around with html formatting for a bit longer and get a good feel for how it works before posting again. Until then, feel free to let me know what you think.


	3. Demons Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. I think by now I have a good enough understanding of html. At least enough to separate paragraphs and emphasize certain words, which is all I really need. That having been said, if you thought the last chapter was angsty, prepare yourself.  
> Oh my god. So much angst.  
> You have been warned.

As he shot past the holographic wall and into the street, Megamind punched the coordinates of last night’s fire into his car’s on-board navigation system. Then he guided himself out of the lair’s neighborhood and onto one of the main roads towards downtown.

He tried his best to focus on the case at hand, going over details that had been present in the briefing message he’d been sent, but every now and again, Minion’s words echoed in the back of his mind.

He shook himself angrily and turned on the stereo, blasting classic rock so hard the car started to shake. Even so, his thoughts still drifted back to their conversation.

Was it possible that he’d overreacted? It certainly wouldn’t be the first time. Besides, Minion had only been trying to help. Heck, maybe his friend he was even right.

Without warning, a memory from long ago swam to the surface of his thoughts and struck at him like a nasty rodent.

_“Oh gross, look at him!”_

He shuddered so violently at the voice echoing in his ears that he almost ran straight off the road. For the next few minutes, he focused entirely on driving, determined not to let any other thoughts into his head.

Unfortunately, one clung to edge of his consciousness with startling tenacity. This time, it was Minion’s voice that reached out to him.

_“But you’re still not thinking about Miss Ritchie”._

He’d always been perfectly content with the idea of being able to spend time with Roxanne and occasionally sharing certain types of contact with her like hugging and kissing. He’d always assumed that, by never trying to take things further with her, he was doing what she wanted, as though he were honoring some type of unspoken agreement.

But what if she did want more? The idea seemed ludicrous to him, and yet there was still that slight chance that perhaps Minion had been right about this as well. What if he’d actually been disappointing her by holding back all this time? The idea certainly didn’t sit well with him.

He let himself think back to all of their dates, trying to pinpoint any possible hints that she might have dropped, and found none. Still though, that didn’t mean they weren’t there. Maybe he’d just missed them.

_“Oh my gosh! Ewwww.”_

The memory he’d experienced earlier came back, more powerfully than before. This time, Megamind couldn’t fight it, and it felt as though he’d been transported to another time and place.

He was sitting in the shoolyard. All of the other kids were playing hopscotch or softball, while he was sitting underneath a tree in the corner with a book in his lap.

It was an interesting read. He’d picked it up from the prison library, and borrowed it for shool. He knew none of the other kids would want to play with him, so he decided to bring something along to occupy him during recess.

In his mind’s eye Megamind could still see the words on the page. It was a textbook on neuroplasticity: the brain’s ability to reshape itself in response to the individual’s environment. Apparently, entire sections of the brain could grow or shrink depending on what happened in a person’s life. They could even be repurposed for uses that they didn’t originally have.

The young alien (known most commonly as ‘Blue’ during this time) had been so engrossed in his readings that he didn’t even notice the approaching figure until a shadow fell over him. Looking up, he tried not to cringe as he came face-to-face with Wayne Scott, aka MetroBoy.

The taller kid smirked down at him in a way that made Blue very happy he’d decided not to bring Minion to shool with him anymore. Once there had been an incident where the other kids thought it would be funny to use his dome in a game of soccer. It had been terrifying for both of them. After a quick scuffle and a trip to the corner of the room, Blue had made the conviction that Minion would remain in prison where it was safe for him.

Minion had, of course, argued against this, not wanting to leave his charge all alone in a building full of “little monsters” but had Blue put his foot down. He often missed Minion during the day, but he still never wavered in his resolve. Staring into the face of MetroBoy as he gave him a “triumphant smile of justice”, he knew he’d definitely made the right call.

“Whatcha got there?” he asked loudly, drawing the attention of a few other students around him. Blue huddled against the tree, trying to make himself as small as possible.

“Just a book.” He muttered quietly. Why couldn’t MetroJerk just leave him alone? He wasn’t doing anything.

“Where’d ya get it?” The other boy demanded, poking him hard in the chest. By this time, he had the attention of all of the kids on the playground. They grinned at each other and settled in to watch the show.

“From the library.” Now it was getting harder to breath. He didn’t like where this was going. He didn’t exactly know where it was going, but he knew he didn’t like it.

“Oh really,” With his super speed, Wayne grabbed the book straight out of his lap and held it up to inspect. “I think you’re lying. I think you stole it.”

Blue looked around him. All of the other kids had gathered in a semicircle now. He was pinned in. No way out.

“I-I-I didn’t steal it,” He stammered, making his voice loud in an effort to be brave. “I borrowed it from the library.”

“Sure you did,” Wayne grinned at the other kids as if to say ‘can you believe this guy’. Then he tossed the book over his shoulder. It flew over the fence and into the street, where it landed in the wet gutter.

“Tsk tsk tsk,” he said, looking at where it lay, water soaking into the pages “Didn’t your mother teach you to return items that you borrow in good condition?” Now his grin was positively smarmy. All of the other kids laughed along at this quip.

Blue, on the other hand, was seeing red. At the mention of his mother, whom Wayne _knew_ was dead, he flew into a rage. He sprung up from where he was sitting and hurled himself at the other boy.

Wayne stepped back in shock as the first fist hit his jaw, then simply stood there in amazement as the other boy wailed on him, hitting and kicking at an amazing rate, showing no signs of stopping or slowing down.

Then he grinned again and grabbed at the edge of Blue’s shirt and hosted him off the ground. Blue kicked his legs a few times, but to no avail.

“Well well,” Wayne crowed, and then he turned around to address his audience, swinging Blue around with him. “You see what I mean? Evil can’t help itself. It just keeps doing bad things. Did you all see how he attacked me?”

Blue wanted to scream. He glanced around desperately, and caught the teacher’s eye through the window of the schoolhouse. He gave her a pleading look, and felt his stomach drop when she pointedly looked away from him, continuing to grade papers.

“Yeah,” one of the girls sneered “Teach him a lesson, MetroBoy.” Others soon took up the call as well, until it turned into a chant.

“ ** _Teach Him! Teach Him! Teach Him!_** ” Blue recalled a documentary he’d watched a couple weeks back about a savage tribe in some remote rainforest that often chanted before going out to slaughter wild animals for food. If he’d been asked to tell the difference between the scenario he’d seen on the television screen and the one he was currently in, he wasn’t sure that he could.

“I really should shouldn’t I?” Wayne’s words jerked him out of his reverie, just in time to receive a punch squarely in the stomach. He doubled over as much as his hanging position allowed, and tried to catch his breath.

Cries of “More” and “Keep going” echoed in the periphery of his hearing. A knock on the head made his world spin.

“Learned your lesson yet?” Wayne asked. Unfortunately, Blue had been too dazed to answer in the time allotted. Before his words could register, Wayne had taken his silence for defiance. “Okay then.”

And with that, he shook the smaller alien roughly by the shirt. He bounced him so hard, Blue was sure that his neck would snap. Then he started floating up and down, oscillating higher each time to make the shaking even harder. Blue could no longer see anything other than a constant blur. He’d just hoped that he would black out soon enough.

Then there came a sharp ripping sound, and he found himself on the ground once more. His mouth was full of grit and sand, which he spat out quickly. Looking up, he saw Wayne floating in the sky, watching him with a somewhat shocked expression. He was holding something orange in his hand.

“Oh gross!” came a cry from nearby. Blue swiveled his head to find one of the boys pointing at him with an expression of both laughter and disgust on his face. “Look at him!”

Blue looked down at himself and was aghast to find that part of his shirt had been ripped off, revealing his entire arm and part of his chest.

“Oh my gosh” a girl was clutching her stomach like she might throw up “Ewwwww.”

“Geez” another kid sneered “It looks like there’s a toothpick sticking out of his side. Oh wait. That’s an arm.” he elbowed his friend next to him, who guffawed loudly.

“He’s so _blue_ ” someone else said.

“Don’t touch it, it might turn you blue too!”

Soon the entire yard was in an uproar with laughter and more shouting. Blue huddled in the dirt and tried to cover himself with what remained of his uniform, but there wasn’t enough material. The cloth still dangled from Wayne’s outstretched fist, who was still floating high above the scene, surveying it with a stunned expression on his face.

Finally, the teacher called everyone inside, and Blue felt like she had delivered him an act of mercy. The feeling was short lived, however, as he stepped through the doorway.

“Excuse me,” the teacher boomed loudly, standing in front of him. “What happened to your clothes?”

This brought back all of the children’s sniggers.

Before Blue could even open his mouth, the teacher grabbed him roughly (making sure to avoid touching any exposed skin) and dragged him over to the corner, where she made him stand with his back to the wall.

“You should know better,” she scolded “than to dress so inappropriately for school. I’ll be sure to let your guardian know about this incident.”

And so the rest of the day passed like such. He stayed in the corner for the next few hours. For the most part, the kids ignored him and focused on their lessons. But every so often, one would find time to turn around and giggle or point at him again. He angled his body slightly so that his exposed shoulder faced the wall, and tried to fight back tears.

When he got back to prison, the Warden read the note he'd been sent home with and had demanded to know what happened. But Blue clamed up tightly and refused to talk about it. In the end, the Warden simply gave in with a sigh and gave him a change of clothes, then led him back to his cell. Minion tried to get him to talk about it, but he stayed totally silent for the rest of that day. It wasn’t until hours later into the night that he’d realized- he’d forgotten all about the book.

Megamind jerked out of his dazed condition with a start and realized he was outside of a burned-down building. In his spaced-out state, he’d driven all of the way to the crime scene, and managed to park his car right at the curb.

He’d been sitting in the driver’s seat for the past several minutes, staring vacantly at his own arm, currently clad in black and blue leather. Although it was now somewhat fuller than it used to be, he knew it was still much slimmer than that of the average human male. On top of that it was still, of course, blue.

With an angry shake of his head, he cursed his own stupidity. What had he been thinking? Of course he wasn’t disappointing Roxanne. His bacon and eggs from earlier that morning were no longer digesting, but turned over in his stomach, requesting permission to make a reappearance.

_Oh what?_ Came a mocking voice from the back of his mind. _You thought she’d be absolutely devastated that you weren’t throwing yourself at her? That she was just dying to see what was underneath that suit? Get real._

And thus in his mind the matter was settled, once and for all. With the ease of much practice, he pushed these thoughts away and adopted his usually, cheery demeanor. He then hopped out of the car and grabbed his forensic equipment from the trunk, making his way over to where a couple of firefighters and a detective were standing. He couldn’t keep letting himself dwell on these matters. It didn’t do any good, and he had work to take care of anyway.


	4. The Big Night

_27 days later…_

Megamind stood in front of the lair’s full-length mirror, nervously adjusting his outfit. He had on a formal black jacket with slacks to match, a white shirt underneath, and a tie that was a solid midnight blue in color. His shoes were also black, their newly-polished surfaces gleaming in the overhead lights.

He found himself pacing every so often and glancing at his watch, before eventually going back to the mirror to check his reflection again.

He had been at this for what felt like hours.

After checking his watch for the umpteenth time, he found the time to be 7:24 pm. It had been twenty minutes. Oh well, a little off.

Megamind forced himself to take a deep, calming breath, and went over the entire plan in his head once more. Funny, he’d never been this nervous before any of his battles against Metro Man. But then again, he’d never truly cared about any of those actually succeeding.

While he was readjusting his cuffs to match precisely in length, Minion came into the room, positively beaming.

“Well hello there good looking,” he greeted. “All ready for your big night out?”

“Absolutely” came the shaky response. “I’m heading off in just a few minutes. Now remember, make sure to-“

“Make sure to monitor the response center every fifteen minutes. Also, check in on brainbot patrols throughout the city, and yes I know where the invisible car is, should I need to use it.” Minion folded his arms and gave his master a triumphant look “Did I miss anything?”

“Yes,” his boss replied “You forgot that you need to call me if any emergency arises that requires my immediate attention.”

“Sir,” Minion lumbered up to his master and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder “That won’t happen. I’ll take care of everything while you’re gone, and I’ll be just fine until you get back. You’ll see, absolutely nothing will go wrong tonight.”

Megamind gave his fish a forced smile, then nodded and resumed fussing in front of the mirror. Minion hedged forward and peaked over his shoulder.

“That having been said…” he hesitated. Even though they had made peace quickly enough after their fight last month, he was still nervous about broaching the subject again. He’d tried bringing it up a few more times since that day, and each time his master had swiftly shut him down by forcefully steering the conversation in other directions or making an excuse to simply leave.

“That having been said,” the fish repeated “I wanted to know if you’d given anymore thought to- what we’d talked about, you know- earlier. I think you should have a plan prepared.”

Megamind stopped messing with his jacket and turned to face Minion. “A plan? For what exactly?”

“For if Miss Ritchie asks you to, well…”

Before he could finish finding the right euphemism, Megamind pursed his lips and rolled his eyes. _Oh boy_ , he thought, _here we go again_.

“Pfffft. Are you still beating that dead horse? I told you already-“

“That it won’t happen, yes.” Minion sighed. “But say I’m right. What if Miss Ritchie does want to take things to the next level? I mean, from everything I’ve heard, one-year anniversaries are a big deal, and if there ever were an appropriate time for her to bring the topic up, it would probably be tonight. What would you do then?”

Megamind nodded along wearily as his friend imitated a broken record, only half listening to what he was saying. Then he thought about the question for a moment before answering.

“Tell you what,” he finally decided “If such a thing does happen tonight, or any other night for that matter, I will be sure to give you $100 dollars. On top of that, you can have an entire week of your choosing off, and I’ll even throw in a plaque that reads ‘Minion was right- Megamind was wrong’”. He splayed his hands out before him, as if picturing the embossed words right in front of his face.

Minion was not amused. “That’s not what I mean and you know it. Sir, I just want you to be prepared.” And with that, he came forward, reaching into a compartment in his gorilla body. When his arm came out he presented his hand palm-up in front of his boss. “Which is why I want you to take this. Just in case.”

The object lying in his hand was a flat, square package, no bigger than a silver dollar. It was made of smooth plastic and grey in color. Despite its rather demure form, it was quite obvious what it was.

Megamind shot his sidekick a disbelieving look. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Just take it,” Minion pleaded. “Even if you don’t believe me. I mean, what’s the harm?”

Megamind’s first instinct had been to ask his fish where he had gotten that contraceptive contraption, but then quickly decided he didn’t want to know.

Suddenly, the blue alien felt very tired. He was weary of constantly having to debate this ridiculous notion that had somehow stubbornly lodged itself within his fish’s head. What did he have to do to make it so he wouldn’t have to deal with this argument every other week? Suddenly, in that moment, inspiration struck him.

“You know what Minion,” he said, putting on his best contrite expression. “Maybe you are right. I suppose I’ve just been too stubborn to see it.” And with that, he smiled, took the disgusting device from the robotic hand, and pocketed it quickly. “It can’t hurt to have a plan in place, just in case.”

“Oh thank you, Sir.” Minion’s shoulders sagged in relief. At least now he could relax, comfortable in the knowledge that he had done all that he could to help prepare his master for the night’s possibilities.

“Oh no,” Megamind said, silently praying that he wasn’t overdoing it. “Thank you, good buddy. Who knows what might have happened without your caring intervention.”

Now most people would have seen this for the over-the-top acting that it was, but Minion was a very trusting fish. So instead, he nodded and flashed his boss a toothy grin.

Being faced with such a happy expression, devoid of any suspicion whatsoever, made Megamind somewhat uncomfortable. He avoided the fish’s gaze by glancing down at his watch. To his immense relief, he found that the display read 7:30 pm.

“Would you look at the time? I should really get going. I’m off.” he said hurriedly, snatching up the bike keys and a bouquet of flowers from a nearby table before dashing onto the waiting vehicle, “See you later tonight. Don’t wait up.”

Minion watched him go as he fish-tailed out of the lair, leaving skid marks on the floor. Then he sighed wearily. He was going to have to clean that up.

-0-0-0-0-0-

As Megamind flew through the evening sky towards Roxanne’s balcony, he did one last spot check on himself. His wardrobe was still present, he was right on schedule, and the flowers he’d brought along were still cradled securely in his arm. Everything checked out.

He hummed happily to himself as the wind gently whipped the lapels of his jacket back and forth. Then he slowly reached into his pocket and brought out the small package that Minion had given him, making sure to only touch it with two fingers, as though it were toxic. He then held it out to the side of the bike, and let the breeze whip it right out of his grasp.

Watching the repulsive thing drift slowly out of the sky, Megamind wondered with amusement exactly where it would land, and if there would be anyone there to witness it. A few scenarios popped into his head and he laughed heartily. 

Oh, well. Minion would be no worse off for his actions. It’s not liked he’d ever know. What could possibly be the harm? More importantly, how on Earth was he supposed to explain that thing to Roxanne if she happened to see it? It could fall out of his pocket while he was reaching for his wallet. Or she might accidentally reach into his jacket while hanging it up on a coat rack. A number of different possibilities flashed across his mind, and he decided he’d been right to get rid of the thing before even getting to her apartment.

And besides, he thought, overlooking the city as the sun sat low on the horizon, maybe that show he’d put on for Minion’s benefit actually would get the fish to stop badgering him about an issue he personally found to be completely irrelevant to his life.

-0-0-0-0-0-

It was just a few minutes shy of 8 o’clock when he touched down on Roxanne’s balcony. He dismounted gracefully, and adjusted his grip on the flowers before knocking on her door.

He was greeted with a call of “Come in!” and tested the door, finding it unlocked. With that, he strode into the apartment.

As he stepped into the middle of the room, Roxanne came around the corner, smiling at him.

“Hey,” she greeted “Right on time.”

“Yeah. I know.” He stated and then, realizing how awkward he sounded, began to fidget. Even though he had become comfortable in Roxanne’s presence over the past year, there could still be times where he struggled to find the right things to say. It was all part of learning to fit in with normal society, and while he was making progress, it was often slow going.

“Oh,” he exclaimed, remembering the bundle still in his arms “These are for you.” He held out the flowers to her.

“That’s sweet. Thank you, “She smiled as she accepted the bouquet from him, sniffing one of the roses. “They’re beautiful.” Fortunately, they had managed to survive the trip to her building in moderately good condition. He had made sure to drive slowly.

“You look great, by the way.” She noted, giving him a quick once over.

“So do you,” he said with a silly smile plastered to his face.

She gave him a wry look as she went into the kitchen to fetch a vase of water for the flowers. She was dressed in casual jeans and a dark blue blouse. He had been insistent on a specific dress code for this night, yet looking at him, she felt a bit underdressed.

“I don’t think we’re exactly matched here.” Roxanne pointed out as she reentered the living room, placing the vase in the center of the coffee table.

“Oh that won’t matter where we’re going,” He assured her “Just as long as you can move comfortably.”

“So are you gonna tell me where that is?” It had been a few weeks ago that he’d first mentioned he had something planned for their anniversary. Since then, she had made it her goal to discover his secret, but he’d done a very good job of keeping her in the dark. Even Minion, who was often a gold mine of information, proved useless in this endeavor. Whatever it was he had in mind, it was definitely big.

“You will know of my plans soon enough, Miss Ritchie.” He teased lightly, donning a mocking satire of his own formerly evil persona. He gestured towards the open balcony doors, motioning for her to follow him outside.

As they mounted the hover bike, Megamind bent forward to retrieve a specialized helmet from a secret compartment. Roxanne once revealed to him in one of their conversations that ever since the fiasco with Tighten, she had become very nervous about heights. When he’d heard this, his first instinct was to never bring her on the hover bike. However, she told him that she wanted to learn how to face this fear, and possibly overcome it. She’d said that she didn’t want to continue being affected by Hal and his reckless actions for the rest of her life. For that reason, he had designed a helmet for her whenever she rode in the hover bike with him. It only allowed a limited amount of sound and sight to enter, and thus gave her a dulled sense of the world around her while they flew. When she turned a knob on the side of the helmet, it adjusted the level to which she could see and hear. In this way, she would be able to gradually become more comfortable with the sensation of flying.

Pulling the helmet over her head, Roxanne tuned the knob to a moderately low degree and settled in behind Megamind. As they took off, she wrapped her arms securely around his midriff and leaned her head into the crook of his shoulder.

Then she focused on relaxing, watching the city speed by below her and listening to the wind. Even though flying still made her nervous, she’d definitely made progress. She knew she owed a lot of that to her blue protector. When he’d first presented the helmet to her, she’d insisted that it was too much, that she could overcome her fear through her own willpower alone. But he had assured her that the helmet had taken him no more than a single afternoon to design and construct, and convinced her that it would prove useful in her quest to conquer her fears.

Perhaps more important than the helmet itself was its creator. She felt anxious while flying on the hover bike, but never truly scared. She knew that Megamind wouldn’t let her fall. It was a thought she kept in the back of her mind and often drew strength from it. Just one more reason that she felt so lucky to have him.

With these thoughts in her head, she hummed happily against his shoulder, enjoying the rest of the trip to their destination.


	5. An Unforgettable Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys, before getting into the story, a couple of things:  
> First, to everyone who gave this story kudos and comments- Oh my god. Thank you. You're all awesome.  
> Second order of business- I'm afraid it's going to be a while before the next chapter gets put up. My whole family will be spending the holidays living under the same roof, so that means I won't really have the alone time I need for writing/editing. With luck though, I should have it ready to go by early January.  
> That having been said, I hope you guys like this next one. Enjoy.

Soon enough they reached their destination, a quiet region on the lower part of town. The hoverbike swooped in, before touching down softly.

Roxanne removed her helmet before taking a look around her. The bike was situated on a small patch of grass. To their right, a single building stood tall and imposing. No light came from its interior. On their left, a large courtyard stretched in front of the building, ringed by a chain-link fence. A scarce number of lamp posts gave off light from the street beyond, providing the only source of illumination in the entire vicinity.

She turned around to find Megamind looking at her. He now stood in front of the building, hands clasped behind his back, awaiting some response.

“Alright,” she asked. “Now are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

“You haven’t figured it out yet?” He teased lightly. In spite of his playful demeanor, she thought she could detect a hint of nervousness. “Think about it. Where are we?”

“I’m not sure.” She smiled and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She could play this game if he wanted. “My ‘nosy reporter skills’ aren’t as good as you seem to think they are.”

“Okay. Fine.” He stepped back and gave a dramatic sweep of his arms. “I’ll give you a hint. Look up.”

Roxanne tilted her head towards the sky, and saw the silhouette of the building they had been standing near. A large dome rounded out the top, punctuated by a sharp point in the center.

“The old clock tower?” The tower in question had been the centerpiece of her new article she was working on for the news station. She had been doing research on a handful of blocks on the lower side of town, locally known as ‘The Wilderness’. The whole area consisted of completely abandoned structures. At first, only a few companies in the region had gone under, forcing them to close their doors. The original cause had been nothing more than sloppy business practices. Then, like a domino effect, more of the companies lost their profits, due to deterioration of the neighborhood. Eventually, the sector of the city became its own little ghost town, with nobody wanting to foot the bill to tear any of it down. Since the only light came from the few remaining street lamps that still worked in the area, it became very dark at night, earning its silvian nickname.

The point of Roxanne’s report was to bring much-needed attention to the area. Many of the structures were still in good condition, and could be refurbished into community service centers. They just required donations from willing patrons, and volunteering philanthropists to spearhead the project. After being assigned this particular story, Roxanne had become a very strong proponent for the idea.

The clock tower in question was the perfect structure to be converted into a public library. The only other one within walking distance of the area was a good forty minutes away, and was often inaccessible to pedestrians because of traffic.

“I’m still not sure what we’re doing here.”

“Well,” he responded “I remember you mentioning that you wanted to know more about these buildings. You said you were frustrated that the city wouldn’t allow you to come onto the property to explore. So, I thought we could do our own, off the books, exploration.”

As his words sank in, Roxanne felt a wicked smile spread over her features. “I’m pretty sure this is not legal.” She quipped at him.

“I won’t tell if you won’t.” And with that, he stood to the side, motioning her towards the tower’s main entrance.

She shook her head, chuckling. When he’d said that he had something special planned for their anniversary, she’d imagined several different scenarios, but nothing close to this. And yet, standing here, she couldn’t have thought of anything else she would rather do with her boyfriend. When had he learned to be so unpredictable?

She strode towards the front doors, pausing long enough to give him a peck on the cheek as she passed, and he followed close behind.

-0-0-0-0-0-

A few hours later, the couple was sitting out in front of the enormous clock face, legs dangling over the stone ledge. They had combed over every room in the entire building and it had taken quite some time. Roxanne had made sure to take detailed notes of the layout. Of course, none of these notes would be in her report, because she wasn’t supposed to know about them. Still, it would come in handy if renovations _were_ to ever happen.

Now, they were both thoroughly exhausted, covered in dust from head to toe. Roxanne leaned her head into his shoulder as they looked out over the town. From their vantage point, they could see past the Wilderness to the glow of the rest of the city beyond.

“So,” Megamind remarked, curling an arm around her side gently “As far as first anniversaries go, how was this one?”

“It was perfect,” she answered, moving closer to him. He could have played it safe, gone with a standard date at some fancy restaurant and maybe a late night walk in the park. But instead, he took a risk, chose something personal to her, a plan that not only appealed to her sense of adventure, but also showed he listened when she talked, and remembered what she told him.

“Maybe we could do this again. Legally, that is.” He quipped.

“You really think the city will go for the whole ‘renovation’ plan?”

“They’ll have to,” he stated confidently “Once everybody reads your report, that is.”

Now Roxanne always prided herself on being a level headed, collected individual. And yet at his words, she felt her face grow warm, and ducked her head further against his chest so he wouldn’t see her blush. He always had those ways of complimenting her that made her heart warm. He didn’t make grandiose proclamation about her greatness, like he did with himself. Instead, he casually spoke about her strength, intelligence, and ability as if they were the most obvious things in the world. Somehow, that made it seem more romantic; more sincere.

“If that does happen,” she said, attempting to regain some composure “Then maybe we’ll have an opportunity to finish our wager.”

When they’d first entered the building, Megamind had made a bet with her over who would be the first to discover a secret passage within one of the rooms, and they’d made a game out of it, searching for hidden levers or fake walls. Although they had come up empty handed, they both agreed that there had to be at least one somewhere. The clock tower simply screamed ‘ancient and secretive’.

She looked up to shoot him a teasing smile. “I look forward to the opportunity to engage in a battle of wits once again.” He could tell she was trying to shift the mood to a more playful one, so he obliged and stuck his tongue out at her.

As she laughed, she felt something cold hit her forehead. They both looked upwards, and were hit with a few more drops of cold water. Somehow, without their notice, large, dark clouds had moved overhead and were beginning to come together, forming a storm.

“We should go.” Megamind stood and offered her his hand. Together, they moved back into the tower and began descending the steps. By the time they got outside to where the bike was waiting, the rain was pouring in sheets.

They quickly boarded the hover bike, and shot away, just as a flash of lightning illuminated the entire area. Megamind hit the thrusters and sped towards Roxanne’s apartment, hoping to outrun the storm that had appeared so suddenly.

-0-0-0-0-0-

When they touched down on her balcony, they were both soaked through to the marrow. As they entered, Roxanne went into her room to go change, leaving Megamind in the main living area. He hung his jacket and tie on a coat rack, and kicked off his shoes and socks at the door. Then he sat down by the heater to dry the rest of himself off. Roxanne soon rejoined him, dressed in a t-shirt and sweats, with a pair of wool socks. She suggested that he borrow something to wear from her, but he politely declined. He said the polymers in all of his clothing were designed to repel water. To her surprise, within a few minutes of sitting by the heater, his shirt and pants had completely dried off.

They remained sitting together beside the heater for quite some time. Then, realizing how hungry they were, Roxanne went to get some cheese and crackers, as well as a bottle of sparkling cider, knowing Megamind very rarely drank alcohol. They moved to the couch, and began to enjoy their late meal, chatting happily. 

In the back of his mind, Megamind was aware that he should be going soon. It was late and both of them had work to go to in the morning. But he couldn’t seem to muster the willpower to make himself leave. At least not just yet.

Somehow, the topic of their discussion moved to old kidnappings. They were reminiscing about one of the early ones, when Megamind had waited for her outside of work, and tried to pull her into the invisible car forcefully. Although it had ended with success, he had sported a black eye for several weeks afterward.

“It was after that,” he noted “that I always made sure to use the knock-out spray with you. It was certainly the last time I underestimated your ferocity.” He chuckled ruefully.

“Hmmm,” she responded, swirling the remains of her cider in her glass “Yeah, but my ‘ferocity’ as you put it, wasn’t nearly as powerful as I wanted it to be.”

This comment brought a look of confusion to his face. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I was still getting kidnapped all the time. I wanted to be able to prevent that from happening. I actually signed up for self-defense classes, but those didn’t exactly work out so well.”

Now he was intrigued. “What happened?”

Roxanne rolled her eyes, the memories bringing back old frustrations. “As it turns out, you can only learn so much from observation alone. In order to become proficient in self-defense techniques you have to practice them, which can often be a rough experience. After a few classes, I noticed the teacher’s and other students were reluctant to practice with me, and when they did, they were very delicate. Insultingly delicate. When I finally confronted the main instructor and forced the truth out of him, he confessed that he was frightened of hurting ‘Metroman’s girlfriend’. So I went to a different studio, only to be met with the same problem.”

She sighed and leaned into the back of the couch. “After a few more tries at a handful of different places, I eventually decided to talk to Metroman. I figured if maybe he talked to the instructors, he could reassure them that he wouldn’t roast them with laser vision for giving me a couple of mild bruises.”

“And how’d that work out?” Megamind was now fully enrapt with this story. How had he never heard about this before?

“He was confused. He didn’t get why I wanted to be able to defend myself. ‘Come on, Roxie?’” she mimicked, puffing out her chest and putting on her best ‘champion of justice’ expression. “’You don’t need to be able to fight. I’ll always look out for you.’ I tried explaining it to him, that I wanted to be able to rely on myself, but he couldn’t seem to wrap his mind around the concept. Eventually, I decided to just drop it. I gave up on the idea and accepted the same old routine that we had gotten into of kidnappings and rescues.”

She sighed wistfully and drained the rest of her cider. “I always wondered what it would be like, though. Having the training to take down bad guys. To not be a pawn with no control of the situation all the time- no offense.”

Throughout her speech, Megamind had felt a bit of chagrin, knowing it was primarily him she’d wanted to protect herself from. He now felt a bit guiltier, realizing that through his multiple kidnappings he’d made her feel like she wasn’t in control of her own life. She didn’t ask to be part of his ongoing game with Metroman. She should have had the right to at least _try_ to defend herself. In addition, hearing what Metroman had said to her filled him with indignant anger, especially given the nature of the former-superheroes ‘retirement’.

Despite all that he was feeling he pushed his emotions aside, deciding that there was no point in getting caught up in the past.

“No offense taken.” he assured. “But now that you’re no longer ‘dating’ Metroman, did you ever think of retrying to take those classes?”

“I actually did.” Roxanne smirked ruefully. “Turns out, everybody in town is just as afraid of you- if not more.”

“More?” the notion surprised him.

“You do have a bit of a checkered past.” She pointed out. “They probably think you’re even more likely to go after them with some scary new invention of doom if I got hurt. And I doubt even you could convince them otherwise.”

He snorted and rolled his eyes. Then, an idea came to him.

“Alright,” he proclaimed, bouncing up from the couch. “If you still want to learn, then you just found a willing teacher.” And with that, he extended his hand to her.

She looked at him skeptically. “Seriously? You?”

He put on an exaggerated show of offense. “Really, Miss Ritchie. Do you not have any belief in me at all? I grew up in a prison for god’s sake. I think I know a little bit about fighting.”

“I don’t know,” she mused “Your fights against Metroman never seemed that impressive.”

“Okay” he shot her a droll look. “So I can’t fight against an invincible super-being. It doesn’t mean I can’t fight.”

Seeing her still looking at him with disbelief, he grabbed her arm and pulled her up. “Come on. I’ll show you.” He dragged her over to the middle of the living area, where there was a plush carpet beneath them, and no furniture to get in the way. Then he turned so that they were facing each other, with about two feet between them.

“Okay,” he said. “Try to get into your best defensive stance.”

Roxanne humored him and crouched low in an attacking position, trying her best not to giggle. Like most people, she knew Megamind tended to fight with his head, and not his muscles. It was sweet of him to offer to do this for her, but it was probably not going to go well. She silently promised herself not to be too rough with him.

For a handful of seconds, Megamind simply stood still. He was completely relaxed, with his arms hanging limply by his sides.

The next thing Roxanne knew, he launched forward, and the entire room spun. When she came to her senses, she found herself lying on her back, with her blue boyfriend grinning smugly down at her from his standing position. He had one of her arms in his grasp, and was keeping it locked, preventing her from moving.

Roxanne had to work to reign in her shock. “H- How did you learn to do that?”

His grin widened, almost reaching his ears. “Like I said, I had a really good teacher in prison. And if you’d like, I can pass what I learned onto you.”

Roxanne didn’t have to think about it for too long. “It’s a deal. First, I want you to teach me that move right there.”

“You got it,” he offered her a hand and returned them both to their previous positions. They squared off, taking this new endeavor very seriously. “First, move both of your hands over my right shoulder, almost as if you were diving.”

She did so, slowly. “Is that right?”

“Perfect.” He tried not to focus on how close they were. “Now, try throwing a few knees into my stomach and lower abdomen.” When she made a noise of hesitation, he was quick to reassure her “It’s okay, I’ll make sure to block them.”

So she rammed her knees against him and pushed him backwards. She heard a few grunts of pain, but he held his own well enough.

“Good,” he wheezed out “Now that you have your opponent thoroughly caught off guard, reach under my right arm with your left one, and put your right elbow on the back of my head, in the occipital region.”

“The what?” She asked.

“Where the base of the skull meets the neck.” He amended.

“I have to say,” Roxanne commented while adjusting her grip to his specifications “Whoever this ‘teacher’ was in prison, it sounds like he was pretty ruthless.”

“You have no idea.” Megamind added, almost to himself.

For a moment, he considered telling Roxanne more about his training and his teacher, but then decided against it. There were so many details and memories he wanted to share with her, but now clearly wasn’t the right time. They were enjoying themselves, and it wouldn’t do to spoil that mood.

Suddenly realizing he’d let himself drift off into a trance, he quickly brought himself back to the present. “At any rate, I’m sure they’d be thrilled to know that their lessons are paying off now. Are you in position?”

“I think so.” Her one arm was wrapped around his shoulder, and the other was pressed into his neck.

“Good, now push down with your elbow, while holding my arm up.” She tried to push, but he widened his stance, and resisted.

“It doesn’t seem to be working.”

“That’s because you’re trying to use raw strength. It’s all about mechanics.” He shifted slightly and cleared his throat. Their prolonged proximity was becoming more than mildly distracting, so he tried his best to focus on the task at hand. “Try to rotate while pushing, like you’re trying to spin me.”

She did so, and he began to lower as she pressed him to the ground.

“That’s good. You’re doing it.” He encouraged. “Try moving a little faster, but make sure to kee- **WOAH!** ”

He tumbled to the ground, and with a yelp Roxanne fell with him. They ended up sprawled out on the carpet, with her on top, pinning him beneath.

“Keep. Your footing. Is what I was going to say.” He spoke quietly as he realized their new position. They gazed into each other’s eyes, noses almost touching.

He swallowed and cleared his throat. “But-um- other than that, pretty good. You know, for a first time.” Roxanne started down at him wordlessly, and he wished he could know what she was thinking. “So, do you want to try again?”

Without speaking, Roxanne closed the distance between them and pulled him into a long kiss, informing him silently that their lessons could pick up again at a later date.

Neither one was sure how long they stayed that way, but when they broke, both were breathing heavily.

For her part, Roxanne’s thoughts swirled in her head as she looked down at her blue hero, her friend, her partner. She realized she’d never had a boyfriend like him. It wasn’t just that she’d never dated an alien before, although that was certainly true (despite circulating rumors to the contrary). No, it was that she’d never met anyone this caring, this thoughtful. Who else would build inventions to help her cope with her fear of heights? Most would just buy her gifts she didn’t want or need. What other guy would think to take her on an adventure exploring an abandoned building for a date? Most would just assume she wouldn’t be interested in anything like that. Who else would volunteer to teach her self-defense, encouraging her desire for independence? Most guys would be too possessive or insecure. They’d insist that it was their job to protect her, and worry that her self-sufficiency would damage their masculine image.

In that moment, she made a decision. She had been arguing with herself back and forth for the entire day, but now her mind was made up.

Very gently, she took his hand and helped him to his feet. “Come with me.” She spoke softly, pulling him out of the main living area.

For his part, Megamind was very confused. He wasn’t sure where they were going, but he trusted Roxanne, and let himself be led without resistance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there you go. Sorry to leave you guys on a cliffhanger like that. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can.  
> For anyone wondering about Megamind's "training" in prison, I left it ambiguous for a reason. I plan to do another fic later, after this one is finished, that goes into more detail on that experience in his life.


	6. Crash and Burn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here it is. Finally. Shout out to both baegels and joanhello for writing tips.

Roxanne held his hand firmly as they ascended a spiral staircase to the upper floor of her apartment.

Megamind blinked in surprise. He’d never been to this section of her home. What did she have up there to show him?

When they reached the landing at the top, Roxanne turned to face him. The look in her eyes told him she had something serious on her mind. She took a deep breath, and exhaled softly.

“Megamind, I love you and I trust you. Do you feel the same way about me?”

For a moment, he could only stand there, totally floored, as she waited for his response. Why would she even ask that?

“Of- of c-course,” he finally stammered out. “I love you with my entire being, and I trust you completely. What’s this about? Is everything alright?” His mind began conjuring worst case scenarios. Maybe she had some terrible secret she was about to reveal to him. Maybe this was the preamble to a breakup, and she wanted to soften the blow.

Seeing a multitude of expressions flash across his face in rapid-fire mode, Roxanne was quick to place a hand on his shoulder and offer a reassuring smile. She knew if she kept him in the dark much longer, he might have a full-on meltdown. His mind had a tendency to get carried away with imagined worries. “Everything’s fine. I just- I think it’s time.”

He tilted his head and gave her a puzzled look. “Time for what?”

“Time for us to- you know…”

He gave no response, but patiently waited for her to continue.

She felt heat crawling up her face and coughed awkwardly. Did he really not see where this was going? “Just come with me.” She said, pulling his arm and leading him down the hallway. “You’ll see.”

As they walked down the corridor, Megamind’s head was reeling with possibilities. He decided to distract himself by taking stock of his new surroundings. On his right, he could see over the railing to the main floor below. On his left, a door opened to a small bathroom. Several small paintings decorated the walls. They were mostly bright and colorful, ranging from impressionists to abstract. They certainly reflected Roxanne’s taste well. Other rooms flanked them as they passed further down the hallway. One contained what looked like a home office; another held a washing machine and a dryer. He hadn’t realized her home was this big.

“Here we are.” Her voice brought him out of his thoughts. Roxanne was pulling him to the door that opened at the end of the hallway. Even though it was dark, he could see a bed inside. They were going into her bedroom.

Suddenly realization slammed into him like he’d been punched in the face by Metroman. His breath hitched in his throat and he stopped walking.

Roxanne noticed his reaction and turned to face him. “Is everything okay?”

He wanted to nod casually, but his brain appeared to have shut off. None of his usual functions seemed to be online. He could only stand there, completely frozen. This wasn’t happening. This _couldn’t_ be happening.

He suddenly felt trapped. The walls were far too close together, and the air in the room seemed to be thinning. What was he supposed to do? Just go along with it? The moment his mind offered the proposition it was met instantly with a resounding ‘NO’. If he didn’t find a way out of this situation, by the end of the night, Roxanne would either be laughing uncontrollably at him, or completely disgusted. Either way, it would be the end of their relationship. He had to get out.

He then became aware of Roxanne trying to say something else to him, and snapped out of his trance. “Ah- huh? Yes, okay.” He hoped this was an appropriate response to whatever she had just said. She was looking at him with confusion and concern in her eyes.

Before she could open her mouth to respond, he cut her off. “IjustrememberedsomethingIhavetodosoItsreallyimportantandcantwaitsoImgoingtogonowokaybye.” As he’d been saying this, he had started inching backwards with his palms held out in front of him. At the end, he turned and walked briskly back down the hallway, not giving her a chance to say anything more. Once he had begun descending the stairs, and he was sure that he was out of Roxanne’s line of sight, he jumped the remaining steps and landed with catlike reflexes on the floor.

He then sprinted out the patio doors and hopped on his bike. He revved the engine frantically and shot away, feeling the cold night air rushing against his burning face.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Ten minutes later, Megamind swooped into his lair and landed the bike with a heavy crash in the garage, right next to the invisible car. He took a moment to steady his own nervous breathing. After dismounting his legs turned to jelly and he collapsed by the side of the bike, trying to hold himself together. Eventually he crossed his arms over his legs and hid his face in his arms.

He couldn’t believe it. How could such a perfect night turn into such a nightmare so quickly? And he must have made a complete fool of himself in front of Roxanne, standing there like a buffoon, unable to form a coherent thought, and then dashing away like a frightened rabbit. What must she think of him now?

Megamind forced himself to raise his head and take a deep breath. His eyes happened to wander and he caught sight of himself in the reflection of the bike’s chrome finish. Boy was he a mess. With a start, he realized that his feet were still bare, as he had left his shoes, along with his jacket and tie back at the apartment. His eyes were red rimmed and puffy, with tear streaks down his face. When had he been crying? The last thing he noticed was that several of the buttons on his shirt had come undone on his hasty ride back home.

Faced with the image of his own slender chest bared and visible, memories surged into his mind. Every snigger sent in his direction, every thinly veiled look of disgust at his form came to him with crystal clarity. Shaking his head violently, he struggled to his feet and hastily redid the buttons on his shirt, trying his best to remain calm and think. Despite the throbbing headache he sported, he felt exhausted, and figured the only thing to do now was try to get some sleep. He would find a way to explain everything to Roxanne and make things right in the morning. He was sure of it.

Somewhat mollified with this thought, he headed off to bed. As he strode towards his room, he passed through the den, where Minion was still up, watching a movie. Seeing his master come in, he gave a cheery, welcoming smile.

“Good evening, Sir. You’re certainly home late. How was your night?”

Without saying anything, Megamind walked over to his friend and shoved something into his hands, then walked briskly away. “Let me know when you’ve picked your week,” he called out over his shoulder.

Minion looked down at his hand in confusion. Lying in the metallic palm was a crisp 100 dollar bill. He stared at the offered currency with an intense look of concentration, until the conversation he’d had with his boss earlier that day came back to him. With a start, he jumped to his feet and hurried off after his friend.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Off across the city, Roxanne sat in her living room, still puzzling over the events that had just occurred.

Megamind’s reaction had not been at all like she had expected. She’d seen him giddy, angry, nervous, and even embarrassed, but never before had she seen him so completely frightened. What had he been so worried about? What did this mean for their relationship?

With a sigh, she got up and decided to head to sleep. Clearly she wasn’t getting any answers tonight. But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t get answers eventually. Whatever was going on in that blue alien’s head, she was definitely going to find out.

Just as she reached the stairs, there came a knock from her front door. This caused her to blink and check her watch. The time read 3:15am. Glancing at a clock on the nearby mantelpiece confirmed that this was indeed accurate. Who would be visiting her at this hour?

As soon as she asked the question she knew the answer. Of course Megamind wouldn’t just leave in such a hasty manner without coming back to make things right. Surely they could have this whole mess settled out in no time.

Smiling and shaking her head, she hastened over to the door. “Just a second. I’ll be right there.” Hurrying to undo the latch and flip open the lock, she briefly wondered why he had not chosen to ride his bike over to her balcony. He usually hated taking stairs.

“Glad to see you again,” she said pulling open the door. “By the way, you left your-“. A spray can jumped in front of her face and her vision was filled with a cold, wet mist. Then everything went black.


End file.
